The Best Fried Chicken In Atlanta | Best In Town

Herrine Ro: Atlanta is home to some of the

best

fried

chicken

. Tracy Gates: To us,

fried

chicken

is Southern. It's a tradition in Atlanta. It is a traditional Sunday dinner. Herrine: Honestly, that crunch is like nothing I've ever had before. We visited three famous places: Busy Bee Cafe, Mary Mac's Tea Room and JCT. Kitchen & Bar, to find the

best

fried chicken in the city. We called Erin because she is very sick. Oh. Erin Kommor: Herrine. I'm so happy you found a replacement, but I'm so sad I can't be there. You guys are going to have a lot of fun.

And let me know what the best chicken is, because next time I'm in Atlanta, I'm going to go get chicken. Alana Yzola: Gotcha, girl. Herrine: So, we're in Atlanta, Georgia. This is my home state, my home

town

, and I'm so excited to find the best fried chicken in

town

. Alana, how does it feel to be back? Alana: Honestly, I'm really hungry. I miss this show. I miss traveling to all these places, eating all this great food. And I do remember that, in the second season, we ate a good amount of chicken. Herrine: We know chicken pretty well.

So, Alana, what are the qualities we look for? Alana: Okay, so, number 1, it has to have a crispy coating. It has to be super crispy on the outside, it has to be seasoned and it can't be too greasy. Herrine: No. 2, juicy chicken. The chicken should be the star of the show. And the moment you take a bite of fried chicken, it should be moist and flavorful. Alana: And three, the sides. Some of the places we will go today have sides that come with chicken. Others must be ordered a la carte. But either way, the accompaniments should be good on their own and as an accompaniment to the chicken.

Herrine: Okay. I think we have a great situation in terms of quality rubrics. Come on. Alana: Let's go. Herrine: So, we headed to the Busy Bee Café. And this place has been an Atlanta staple since it opened its doors in 1947. And just like its name, this place is busy all the time. Alana: Yeah, and I've been doing some research on this place and apparently they've won tons of awards. Tracy: Well, Southern cooking brings back memories for people, because when you, there's a lot involved, and people love it, and they realize that you took your time to make it.

So it's really that cook's passion for what she does. You can taste it in your food. For us, soul food is a traditional way of cooking for African Americans. And what it is, is a passing generation, where parents teach their daughters or sons to cook, and then you give your opinion about it. Herrine: What's your addition to your fried chicken recipe? Tracy: They just added salt and pepper to it when I got here. Then I added more spices. I changed the flour they were using; I use a much lighter flower. And we actually cooked ours in a pressure fryer.

For me, a pressure fryer duplicated what my grandmother made in a cast iron skillet with crispy skin and seasoned meat that was still juicy. Customer: It's juicy, very, very light, well seasoned and tastes like my grandmother's. Tracy: It's all a secret. I'll just give you the basics. We used to use white lily flour, which is very, very light, but we incorporated it with a little bit of cake flour. That makes it even lighter and crispier. It is fried in peanut oil, which is not greasy. It pairs well with the flavors and seasons we use in chicken.

The sides we offer, for the first time, we would recommend collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and candied yams. Those are the best dishes that everyone eats and they are literally on every plate. We don't call you a true southerner unless you actually eat collard greens. Herrine: If your grandmother ate a bite of your fried chicken, what do you think she would say? Tracy: Oh, my grandmother would be so proud of me. But the first thing she would say is, "It's not as good as mine." Herrine: We have a live audience. This place is packed. Alana: Packed.

I'm surprised we have a seat. Herrine: The coating is great. Alana: I can see the chips falling. Herrine: And it's not greasy. Alright. Must? Alan: Hmm. Hmm. Herrine: Did you hear that crunch? Alana: I don't feel like it tastes pure, like fat or pure fat. I'm understanding true sharpness. And it is very light. I'll say that too. Herrine: It's very light. It is also very seasoned. It's salty. I don't get any kind of outright seasoning, but it's well seasoned with salt and pepper, at least. Alan: Yes. I will definitely buy the pepper. Herrine: The coating itself is quite thin.

Alana: I love that it's thin, because I feel like it really allows us to get to the meat faster. You know what I mean? Herrine: Then let's get to the point. Alan: Yes. They really took the initiative to make sure each layer of seasoning penetrates through the skin. Herrine: Also, the brine they do, which lasts 12 hours, Miss Tracy said she wanted to make sure the meat is seasoned to the bone. And now I can see what she means by that. This is your first time trying fried chicken in Atlanta, right? Alan: Yes, it is. Herrine: So what do you think?

Alana: What I think is that I can definitely see why Atlanta puts fried chicken on the map. If this is what we have to wait for, then I'll leave very full, I'll probably gain a couple of like 10 pounds, but it'll be worth it. Herrine: What do you think of macaroni and cheese? Alana: It's, again, just like chicken, it's perfectly balanced. It is very easy to put too much cheese on it, so that there are not many noodles left. It's also very easy to not season macaroni and cheese at all. But with every bite, you get the perfect amount of salt.

Herrine: The collards are so soft and so flavorful, because they absorbed all that broth. I feel like the sides as a whole are very simple and stick to classic, I don't know. Alana: Roots. Like southern roots. Herrine: Yes, exactly. Alana: I think this dish is Destiny's Child, amazing music, but the chicken is and always will be Beyoncé. The fried chicken is practically perfect. I'm a super, super crunchy fan, so even if they double fried it a little bit, so it would have an even crispier coating, it would be phenomenal. Herrine: The next place we're going to is also an Atlanta institution.

It's very similar to this, in terms of coating and configuration. So I'm really curious what the differences will be. Alana: Mary Mac's is another Atlanta place I've been dying to try. Herrine: This place is an absolute institution and is the quintessential Southern dining experience. You'll see what I mean in a minute. Matt Thompson: We've won multiple awards in the state of Georgia for best fried chicken. Then, in 2011, the Georgia House of Representatives officially named Mary Mac's Atlanta dining room. Herrine: So, my parents are here because they insisted on watching me work. So they ate at a separate table and ordered fried chicken.

Let's see what they think. Hello Uma. Hello Appa. Appa: This chicken, fried chicken, is one of the best I've ever had. They are very soft and very fresh. Herrine: Is that okay? Umma: Mm-hmm. I like it. Appa: I think this is the best. Herrine: The fried green tomato? Appa: Yes, yes. Herrine: But we're doing a story about the best fried chicken. Appa: Greetings. Umma: Greetings. Matt: So Mary Mac's started in 1945 and they were called tea rooms because there were a lot of widowed women whose husbands would die in the war. And they would have to find a way to support themselves.

We still use many of the original recipes and simply focus on southern food made from scratch, like your grandmother used to make. Jeff Thomas: This is the best fried chicken recipe you can find. So the chicken arrives fresh. Then it goes into a brine solution. The only thing we add to the brine is salt. It softens it and gives it flavor. And in our flour dough, we only use two seasonings. OK? Now this is a secret. Normally I wouldn't reveal it to anyone, but you guys are special. Here the only thing we put is salt and white pepper.

When you coat it with this flour mixture, you get a nice coating, because once it hits the oil, the oil automatically seals the flour. We use canola oil. And then once it's cooked, we want it to brown, get it nice and crispy, and then when you bite into it, oh my gosh. That's when you'll get all the flavor and all the juices. Matt: I would say the most popular is probably the four-piece fried chicken, simply because you can try every piece of the bird. Comes with two sides. I would say that macaroni and cheese is popular and should be paired with some collard greens.

Many people always add an extra third, and I would say that you should add sweet potato. Alana: But this macaroni and cheese. OK. Herrine: Let's go? Alan: Yes. Because it has a scab. Herrine: Yeah, I like a good macaroni and cheese crust. Alana: Not the other one. So creamy. Herrine: I think it's the evaporated milk and eggs. And it has a kind of cream binding. And you're right, that cheese crust is everything. Alana: Yes, it just adds a nice bit of crunch to an otherwise extremely creamy pasta. Herrine: Let's make fried chicken now. Alan: Okay. Why are we really here.

Oh. Herrine: I'm going to go for the drumstick. Alana: This is crispy! Herrine: It's crispy. Oh Lord! Alana: It's very juicy. Herrine: I think the skin here is crispier and more flavorful than Busy Bee's. The meat, I don't get as much juice, but the topping is very, very crispy and light. Alana: I agree that the topping is very crispy and light. The only thing I disagree with is that you said this one was tastier. In fact I thought the opposite. I think Busy Bee's did a great job of seasoning it, for me, whereas this is a very, lightly seasoned Southern fried chicken, you know, more traditional, without the bells and whistles.

Herrine: It's just good fried chicken. It's almost like pork rinds. Alan: Yes. That's the best breading I've ever had. Ever. And honestly, getting this from flour is amazing. Alana: What flour did you use, did you say? Herrine: Just plain flour. Alana: Sometimes simple is better. Herrine: I like this one better. Alan: Really? Herrine: It's more bitter and robust, that's how I grew up eating collard greens. Because I feel like Busy Bee's sprouts were much saltier and a little bland. Honestly, this is the place I would think of when it comes to great Southern Atlanta cuisine. And I remember at Busy Bee we thought, oh, I wish the layer was a little thicker.

I almost want to remove that, because this layer is thin like Busy Bee, but it's crispier. Alana: It's crunchier, yes. Herrine: So it might have to do with the flour they're using. Alana: For you, do you think the canola oil made it a little crispier? Herrine: I'm not really sure if the oil itself influenced the crunchiness. I think it has more flavor. Because you get an extra nutty flavor with the peanut oil, but I don't miss it. Alan: Okay. So, I think for me, the next place, the only way to top this is if we had that crispy skin, but since the next place we're going to is a little bit more modern, maybe a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. more seasoning.

Only a little. Herrine: I agree with you. I feel like if JCT had a more seasoned, juicier meat and a breading that was literally like that but with more spice, then it would win for me. Alana: So compared to the other two ads, JCT is like a new kid on the block. But I've been doing some research and I don't think we can rule this chicken out. Herrine: That's true. This place has been on many media sites. I'm curious to see how it holds up against the two OGs. Drew Belline: For us, JCT draws heavily on French and European technique.

And what we do that is Southern is we source all of our ingredients from the South. We obviously feel honored every time something for us is recognized. We put a lot of love into it. We put a lot of trial and error into it. Customer: I mean, it was humid. It's crispy on the outside. Drew: Chicken at JCT, it changes throughout the year. We are at the mercy of what farmers are growing in the field right now. It's half a bird served with a couple of biscuits. We do them internally. Butter biscuits. We top them with a little honey butter, some crunchy sea salt and then you get a side.

I think we have some really beautiful kale on the menu right now. We are doing that. It is made in the style of kale. We make this really delicious smoked ham hock broth. And then we just simmer the vegetables in that broth with a little sautéed onion, a little tomato, a little brown sugar and vinegar, kind of like all those usual suspects for Southern vegetables. We've combined both, what we consider the best worlds of brined chicken, so to speak. Then we make half brine. We make half buttermilk and then the chicken marinates in the brine and buttermilk for 24 hours.

The next step, we move on to our breading process. You know, this is where people like to get into that "This is my secret ingredient" kind of thing. For us here at the restaurant, we use a spice blend of chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. We like to add a little cornstarch and a little all-purpose flour. What cornstarch does is add, when you fry it, it removes someof moisture, absorbs it and turns it just a little, giving it that extra crunchy touch that we look for in the crust. We let it sit in the breading for about three, sometimes four hours, and it really develops another layer, so to speak.

Herrine: I want to start eating chicken now, because I really want to eat the cookies. Alan: Hmm. Herrine: Mm-hmm. Alan: Wow. This is practically illegal. Well, Herrine. What do you think of the crust? Herrine: As we originally thought, the coating here is much thicker than the other two places. And I feel like the seasoning here is much more pronounced than the other two places. Alan: Yes. There is a pronounced flavor and specific touch here that I don't think we have elsewhere. What do you think of the meat inside in terms of flavor? Herrine: This is very, very tender and still very seasoned.

Alana: I think all the flavor is in the skin. But the crust shines so brightly that I don't miss the seasoning of the meat, if that makes sense. Herrine: I think they complement each other. Alana: Yeah, and the cornstarch is probably the reason the skin is so crispy. Herrine: Yeah, and how they let it sit. I think that's really smart. It's almost like a double bread situation. That's how crispy it is. Alana: Which is what I was missing at Busy Bee's. Herrine: And at Mary Mac's it had a lighter coating. Still, I think the crisis was much more pronounced at Mary Mac's.

Alan: True. I know you were talking, but I'm really distracted by this cookie. Herrine: Okay, yeah, let's do it. Let's do that. It may be the best cookie I have ever tasted. Alana: You know how we talked about how sides should complement chicken? I have an idea. What if we had some of the chicken, right? And you made like a little sandwich? Yes. Herrine: The cookies here are incomparable to any bread we've ever tried. Shall we move on to the green ones? Alana: Yes, we will. Herrine: Flavor-wise, I'm missing the chops you get from collard greens that give it that extra texture.

Alana: I like a little bit of texture, a little bit of something to bite into, and I felt like these are too soft for me. But flavor-wise, it's obviously much more loaded. There are many more components to this. I think overall I'm surprised, because this is not a traditional soul food place. Again, when I think of fried chicken, I automatically go to soul food, especially when we're in the south, and the fact that they pride themselves on an almost French style of cooking, it's shocking that it's so good. Herrine: I feel like we hit three very different points.

Alan: Yes. They all had their own charm and they all represented what I think of when I think of the South. Herrine: But we have to choose a winner. So are you ready to reveal it? Alana: It's hard, but I think I have it. Both: Three, two, one. Herrine: I can't say I'm surprised. Alana: I have to say I'm a little surprised. Why did you choose Mary Mac's? Herrine: The fried chicken at Mary Mac's is very simple, but simple in the way I love Southern food, if that makes sense. I feel like every element was executed perfectly.

Especially that breading, it was very crispy. He was so thin. It was so crispy. The chicken meat itself was very moist and flavorful. Even the white meat was juicy. And the sides. I mean, macaroni and cheese and kale are just two basic sides. Alana: I think for me, going down the list, the crispiness of that skin at JCT was crazy. And I think it really brought together the best parts of all the places we went. It had the strong seasonings we had when we were at Busy Bee's. It had the crunchy, crunchy flavor we had when we were at Mary Mac's, but they married them perfectly.

And on top of that, the meat itself was super, super, super juicy. And then for the sides, come on, that cookie, that cookie was the best cookie I think I've ever had in my life. Herrine: Yes, that cookie was the best cookie I've ever had in my life. Alana: The reason I'm surprised by your choice, Herrine, is because you said, when we were at JCT, that you appreciated complex seasonings. You liked that. And I feel like if we had a blind taste test, you'd probably agree that JCT is a little better. Herrine: I hate to say it, but I remember loving the topping and seasoning at JCT, a lot, and that cookie was amazing, and those greens, even though they weren't collard greens, had everything I love. cabbages.

So what do you guys think? Do you think JCT is the best fried chicken in Atlanta, or do you think I should have held my ground and stuck with Mary Mac's? Or was it Busy Bee or somewhere else? Alana: Let us know in the comments below. Herrine: Goodbye. Alan: See you.